Updated: December 12, 2010, 12:07 a.m. CT
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The inflatable roof of the Metrodome collapsed Sunday
after a snowstorm that dumped 17 inches on Minneapolis. No one was
hurt, but the roof failure forced the NFL to shift the Vikings-Giants
game to Monday night at Detroit's Ford Field.
The commission that operates the Dome wouldn't speculate on how long a
repair would take, but facilities manager Steve Maki said he was
optimistic it would be done in time for next Monday's game against the
Chicago Bears.
It was the fourth time the Teflon roof has failed in the Dome's history,
but the first time since 1983. Heavy snows also caused the previous
failures. The game between the Vikings and New York Giants had already
been postponed a day, to Monday, when Saturday's blizzard kept the
Giants from getting to Minneapolis on time. Work crews attempted to
clear snow off the stadium roof Saturday night but were pulled off due
to safety concerns.
The roof collapsed about 5 a.m. Sunday.
"There were no injuries, which we're thankful for," said Bill Lester,
executive director of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission.
A large section of the roof lay torn and whipping in the wind in the
stadium's north end zone, and snow that had fallen through the rip
covered much of the field. Maki said workers were working with the
manufacturer of the roof material on plans to repair and replace damaged
pieces. He said there didn't appear to be any other damage to the
stadium.
The NFL briefly considered moving the game to the University of
Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium, but the university said it couldn't be
ready in time. TCF holds about 50,000 people, compared to the
Metrodome's 64,000.
The city got 17.1 inches of snow during the storm that started Friday
night and ended around 10 p.m. Saturday, said James McQuirter, a
National Weather Service meteorologist. He said the storm was one of the
five largest to hit the Twin Cities. Some surrounding communities got
more than 21 inches of snow, he said.
The Metrodome roof deflated in 1981, 1982 and 1983, each time due to
tears caused by heavy snow. The April 14, 1983, collapse forced the
postponement of the Twins' game with the Angels, which had been the only
postponement. A slight tear also delayed a Twins game briefly in 1986.
The Vikings will enter the final year of their lease at the Metrodome
next season and have been lobbying for a new building for about a
decade.
The Vikings previously pledged roughly one-third of the cost for a new
stadium, estimated at $700 million or more. But the team has had
difficulty getting much traction with the state legislature on public
funding to pay for the rest, with lawmakers pointing to huge state
deficits that need to be addressed first.
The team has been contacted by two groups interested in bringing the NFL
back to Los Angeles, but so far it has said it remains "committed to
finding a solution in Minnesota."
